Halejian Named Ivy League Co-Rookie of the Week

NEW HAVEN, Conn. —Sarah Halejian, a freshman guard on the Yale University women's basketball team, played a crucial role in the Bulldogs' win in their only game last week, and her performance was worthy of recognition by the Ivy League.

Halejian (Wyckoff, N.J.) scored 14 points, her highest output in her short Yale career, to help lead Yale to a 72-41 win over St. Francis (N.Y.) on Sunday. She also matched a season-high with three rebounds and added two steals in the victory. Thanks to that performance, Halejian was named the Ivy League Co-Player of the Week Monday afternoon.

"Sarah is a gifted offensive player and is becoming a very strong defender as well," said Chris Gobrecht, the Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954, Head Coach of Women's Basketball. "It is great to be able to get such significant contributions from our freshmen."

Princeton's Niveen Rasheed was named the Ivy League's Player of the Week, while Cornell freshman Marissa Rakestraw was named Co-Player of the Week.

In her fourth start of the season, Halejian scored eight of her 14 points in the second half, helping the Bulldogs outscore the Terriers 44-20 in the second half. Halejian scored her 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting with one 3-pointer and a 1-for-1 showing at the free-throw line. She was 3-for-4 from the floor in the second half, including a perfect 1-for-1 from 3-point range and 1-for-1 from the line.

Halejian has come on strong following a scoreless collegiate debut in Yale's season opener against Holy Cross. While she may have finished the Holy Cross game with no points, she provided some crucial defensive help and finished with a season-high six steals.

She has averaged 8.0 points in the eight games since her debut, beginning with a nine-point outing against Fairleigh Dickinson at the Hackensack, N.J. campus. Growing up just 12 miles away, the Wyckoff, N.J., native erased the memory of her scoreless debut with a strong performance in front of many friends and family who came out to support her and her Yale teammates.

Halejian scored five points in the loss at Marist, but she saved her one of her best outings for the nation's best team. Halejian scored a team-high 13 points against the Baylor Bears. She hit five of her nine shots, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

Halejian and her Yale teammates return to the court Tuesday with a key matchup against in-state rival Quinnipiac on the Bobcats' Hamden, Conn., campus. The game will tip off at 4 p.m. and can be seen on cable sports network NESN.